Friday June 16, 2006

*Warning: Emo post ahead….

I’m very saddened by anonymous’s comment about Malaysian music. It’s because of people like you that our music industry is doing badly. You never give it a chance! Once you hear it’s Malaysian you automatically and sometimes unconsiously think or assume that it sucks. This happens not only in terms of music, it’s the type of unpatriotism that’s been exhibited by a lot of us today – when a thing is Malaysian made…oh…..shit quality, anything western…..great!! We’re like constantly admitting to the world that we are 3rd world and we’re subservient to anything foreign. I say us and we because I AM guilty of being embarassed to be Malaysian. We all claim we’re an advanced community, that we will become a developed nation in the year 2020, but now, 14 years to target, we still think in a 3rd world perspective! I’m not saying that I am better than anyone in any way but having been in Australia and seeing how Australians really support their local industry and have this huge sense of pride about being Aussies, I just wonder when and how we can reach that stage if the young movers and shakers of the nation are embarassed to even like their local music?

With all the football fever happening, question’s been raised about when Malaysia will debut in the World Cup and most Malaysians I’ve spoken to say we’ll never get to play in the World Cup. But why?? Why isn’t there a possibility that maybe in 12 years we might qualify for the World Cup?? Why can’t we have international selling musicians? Why can’t we feel proud that we’re Malaysians? As in really proud, not the generic TV answers like, oh I like being Malaysian because of the food, the weather, the nice beaches, our multicultural society..etc… We do not think highly of our own people that’s why! We don’t see ourselves as worthy and it just bothers me sometimes!! I know I sound like a hypocrite because I’ve said a lot of times that I want to leave this country, but really, I would love to stay in Malaysia, just not if it continues in this condition we’re in now. And I think loyalty to the country amongst the younger generation is getting worst. Most are so eager to leave the country and never want to come back!

I guess what I’m trying to say in all this is that I’m back to give Malaysia another chance and I’m pleading you guys to try and do the same. Hitz.TV is also trying to give Malaysian music its opportunity to advance, so please don’t knock it until you’ve REALLY tried it. I want to one day be able to say “Malaysia Boleh!” with enough conviction to make it real and I hope you guys will want that too.

I’ve been really moody lately, so to the anonymous-es, if you could all stop spamming my chatterbox I’d appreciate it a lot. Thanks.

TOP 10 LIVE, Wednesdays 3-4pm, with repeats at 9:30pm the same day, and 10-11am Fridays only on Hitz.TV, Channel 16, Astro.

First episode with special guests K-Town Clan.

14 comments on “Friday June 16, 2006

  1. justinezlife_jeffnie

    hey bel,

    I really do agree with what you say–I mean I have friends who belittle the industry too! Well, I believe with the upcoming and improving Malaysian bands and singers–and hitz.tv *well cuz it really supports the local scene* and also xfresh.fm, I think in time–of course with a change of attitude in Malaysians–we’ll improve.

    I used to be one of them till I really see how the Malaysian bands work their butt out to produce their album,spend their cash on jamming-etc, and I think they DO deserve the good attitude of people in Malaysia.

    love your post, bel =)

    Reply
  2. dannyfoo

    Bel is ignoring me.. *sniff sniff*

    Anyway, I forgive you since a chatterbox is never a good place to expect someone to notice you. So I shall then leave a lovely note in your comments. 😛

    I think it’s great that Malaysians are trying out in the music industry but in honesty, the corruption and debacle of true talent is always being questioned.

    For instance, take the Idols event. It’s being discussed online vigorously by some asking how does a reality talent show discover talent by allowing annonymous public to vote via SMS than to allow judges to have the last say of who really shines in talent. As for Akademi Fantasia and others, it’s about the same since they too vote on the SMSes and not by the panel of selected and suppose to be qualified judges.

    I think the Malaysia industry needs to be tough when they really want to discover talent. IMHO, the only right decision was made when Jac won. That was a clear cut higher level than anyone else.

    I’d also like to touch abit about the advertising of stopping music piracy and ‘supporting’ your local music. The advertising is funny when referring food like nasi lemak especially when done by the morning crew. However, if replicated too many times the ad becomes boring and uninteresting. We need a fresh and impactful campaign to influence the locals in seeing the quality of our local music.

    Sure, Daniel might not sound like a Jay Chou or something but there should be a better way to promote the local artiste and their music albums.

    End said, I hope you remember me; Danny Foo from Kuala Lumpur who used to be in IBSC.

    Cheers. 😉

    Reply
  3. virgin_punk

    yeah support local scenes .. i personally feels that malaysian music industry is getting better and better . for example k town clan , they’re good ! I love their song and it’s at least better than some nonsense rap i hear from foreign country =]
    dont be too emo bout this hun .

    Reply
  4. amielea17

    With sufficient media coverage and air play, I don’t see why there should be a problem for local artistes to be a success. Edge of Fire and their song Whole Again is really good but I almost never hear it on the radio (Hitz.fm). If the music is good, I don’t see why support should be hard to find. It’s the media coverage and the air play that doesn’t provide enough exposure to the public on GOOD artistes that nooone at all would actually mind supporting.

    Reply
  5. kimberlysqy

    Bel, people are like that. I know alot of people like that in my school. I used to be like that years ago too but I grew out of it and started loving and supporting the industry.

    i’m a big fan of Dragon Red, and they’re really good, no doubt getting better. Not only them, other bands, vocal and instrumental are too. Don’t let one person get you down, you should be concentrating on helping out industry like you are now and doing better. You play a part in changing M’sia’s local scene.

    Now go ahead and do it, and lucks from me!

    Reply
  6. yewalwin

    sorry…outsider giving some thoughts on the issue coz i feel strongly about this. Slightly racial but these are facts

    Many years ago I think local bands suck big time…and till today I still think it was true at that time. But in recent years when i follow the scene, there are many new bands/musicians who are really really good. I have heard of many songs for the 1st time and thought it was foreign bands! When I found out it was actually local bands, I sure felt damn blardy proud. Malaysian standards will slowly but surely improve. Similarly the support by us. Patience…Im sure u can see it coming!

    On the other note, unless the gov changes their “bumiputra” policies, we will never be able to live up to 1st world standards. The simplest example of entrance into local university already shows it. Ie. a bumiputra with 4As is already damn good and will guarantee the ticket into local U. But it would be damn lucky for a chinese who scored 10As (or non bumi for that matter) to get into any local U. Example 10K non-bumis score 10As but quota only allows 2K of these into local U but ALL 4As bumis qualify. WTF! Meritocracy my foot! And btw, what happens to the other 8K non bumis who scored 10As? Assuming 80% of these are not able to financially pursue private U. What happens to them?No way this will help.

    1. Education standards drop. Non bumis who get the chance to study in local U will have to distort their progress due to these 4As ppl.
    2. Plenty of incompetent ppl come out to the workforce thus Malaysia will not realise our real potential. We will keep chasing all the time but will be let down by the poor standards due to point 1.
    3. Malaysians lose out a lot of opportunities on big scale projects (which is really our real potential) because of poor handling of such big projects by these 4As people.
    4. Unfortunate/poor non bumi 10As students waste their potential because they did not get the opportunity to pursue higher education thus resulting in not being able to get good jobs etc.

    So, I dont see why we should complain about the people’s perception when the very basic is so wrong. In 10-20 years time, 85% of Malaysians will be bumis…I really dare not think what will happen to us non bumis by then.

    Of course Of course…the government MUST help the bumis to avoid riots like those in Indonesia…but they should at least ammend some of these policies now before its too late! Everybody knows such policies are making bumis more and more lazy…Dr M knows it, Pak Lah knows it.

    End note : No matter what policies they have, I am very very proud to know for a fact that non-bumis control the Malaysian economy BIG TIME! Hhmm…of course we would further marginalize bumis if not for the bumi quota policy for companies!Oh well…siapa suruh malas? Kenapa mudah lupa?……

    Reply
  7. albnok

    Well said. Those who stay should help the situation instead of whine. Every positive thing you say on TV about the scene will help so yeah keep pimping. 😀

    We work in a building that produces, culturally, good and evil. Evil like Mawi and overplayed top 40 playlists; good like Hitz.TV and uh *cough* Xfresh FM to some extent. We know damn right that the station managers and programmers KNOW their stuff, that they know music, and yet, they choose to ignore the social responbility of educating and enriching the Malaysian audience by playing outside the safe pop zone. For example, if they slipped in a jazz track once every hour on hitz.fm a lot more people would get used to it. If hitz.fm became less poppy and more ‘real’, where’d people go for their fix of Top 40? (I used to ask this question before other stations came up LOL.)

    Reply
  8. notindieenough

    maybe certain music just isn’t everyone’s cup of tea?

    it will be hypocritical for me to say i’m all for local artistes, because i honestly think some of them are crap, and will never ever buy their albums, simply because their music sucks, not because they are local. i’m sort of a music nazi that way, heh.

    also, i think it’s easier in australia where everyone is more or less homogenous. everyone speaks english (we more or less do so in malaysia and singas, but there are some who prefer music in their own native tongue) in australia, and rock/punk seems like the most popular genre there judging from the successful aussie bands (silverchair, living end, powderfinger). i’d like to think we are a whole lot more sosphisticated and diversifed than that. =)

    Reply
  9. seremify

    Stumbled upon your blog in my anti-studying-unsw-blogring-searching mode… and couldn’t help but say there are some kickass Malaysian artists. Fish Leong and Guang Liang are some of the best artists (Chinese-wise at least). And let’s not forget, even the Aussie Idol #1 was from Klang!

    Reply
  10. justinezlife_jeffnie

    lol see,Bel?there’s no need to feel emo,though.

    yeah, local music may not be everyone’s cup of tea but so long as those who love the local music press on with their support,things will change for the better!

    =) keep hoping =)

    Reply
  11. differ

    Malaysia have never made it into the World Cup although during the late Mokhtar’s time, we did qualify for the Olympics but didn’t attend due to a boycott of the 1980 Olympics in Moscow.

    One of the main factors in this equation is that Malaysians are not mature enough to recognise talent when it is plonked right in front of them. Take Malaysian Idol 2 for example. Granted that Daniel is a very good singer but he definitely was not the best. The audiences completely forgot that it was a SINGING COMPETITION above all else, and not a glamour contest. Ashvin sang horribly in the first few rounds and still, he pulled off Houdini after Houdini every week. How is that possible?

    I don’t believe that we are short on talents at all in Malaysia. The problem lies with a majority of parents in our country actually discourage their children from pursuing a career in the Arts. I have friends who were openly discouraged and sternly warned by their parents not to pursue the matter further, often citing “unstable earnings” as the main reason. As filiety is an important part of our asian culture, most of these budding talent often just fade away in engineering courses and business schools.

    And back to Malaysian football. Will we make the World Cup in 12 years? Well unless the bigwigs in FAM can stop dipping their paws into the honeypot, (or better still, sack all their asses), the answer will be a very emphatic NO.

    Reply

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